‘We don’t accept, we don’t give up,’ say Boğaziçi academics for 318 days

* Photo: Ali Aktaş

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The protests of Boğaziçi University constituencies against the appointed rectors have been ongoing since January 2, 2021.

In the 46th week of the protests, the academics of Boğaziçi have turned their backs to the Rectorate at the South Campus in İstanbul for the 213th time and once again expressed their demands for a democratic and autonomous university in the face of rector appointments.

During their vigil today (November 17), academics carried banners that read "We don't accept, we don't give" as well as the photos of academic and documentary filmmaker Can Candan, who has been dismissed by Naci İnci, the current appointed rector of Boğaziçi University.

The academics also carried the pictures of Can Candan as well as those of Seda Binbaşgil, whose classes have been closed.

In their statement marking the 318th day of their resistance, the academics recalled that it has been 86 days since Naci İnci was appointed as a rector by not consulting with any of the relevant boards and by disregarding the will of the institution; 121 days since Can Candan was dismissed from the university and 38 days since he was not allowed to enter the campus.

What happened?

With a Presidential decision published in the Official Gazette, President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appointed Prof. Melih Bulu, an academic from outside Boğaziçi University's academic community, as the rector of the university on January 2, which was met with harsh criticism and protests of students, academics and alumni.

Amid these protests, Erdoğan removed Bulu from office with a Presidential decision on July 15; the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) appointed his vice rector Prof. Naci İnci as the acting rector.

The YÖK accepted applications for the rectorship of Boğaziçi University till August 2 and President Erdoğan has appointed Prof. Naci İnci, who accepted his appointment as a vice rector while his two students from the Physics Department were arrested over the protests, dismissed Can Candan and Feyzi Erçin from the university and received a vote of no confidence from 95 percent of Boğaziçi academics. (RT/SD)